Kurt Pinkman (Earth-1)
"I AM normal. It's the rest of the world that's weird." Kurt Pinkman is an NPC in the Generation X campaign. He was introduced in S01E01 and became a main character that same game. He is the husband of Anna Pinkman. A young member of the Rhoades Institute and a student at Empire State University, Kurt possesses the power of superhuman speed (also known as Hyper Acceleration). Kurt is normally cheerful, enthusiastic and bursting with energy, although he is also seriously impatient, as he views the world in slow-motion and spends most of his time waiting for it to catch up. Personality Kurt is an enthusiastic, affable young man. Generally optimistic with a good sense of humor, Kurt is friendly and a an all-around good guy. While he likes people and does his best to be social, Kurt has trouble connecting with people due to his heightened perception of the world due to his speed, and he can sometimes come across as rude or unobservant. When compounded with his tendency to ramble, inability to keep his big mouth shut and general air of impatience, many see Kurt as a jerk. The truth is that Kurt tries his best to listen and be a good friend. The problem is that everybody else is so damn slow. An optimist at heart, Kurt always sees the glass as half-full. Despite being ridiculed and despised because of his abilities at home, he tends to see the best in people and is perhaps more trusting of others than he should be. Kurt is a tough kid and while he can be sensative, he usually takes everything is stride. He tries to be friendly and welcoming to new members of the Institute and often tries to comfort people who are scared. He hopes to one day use his abilities to help people, though he is unsure of how he'd do that. He is brave and rarely loses his cool, though, so it seems that he would make an excellent hero should he decide to pursue that route. Kurt is, by his own admission, a part of the counter-culture movement. He dislikes comformity and the classic, Atomic Family, "Leave it to Beaver" ideal. He is irreverant to a point and tends to be disrespectful of police calling them "brain dead zombies" and "slaves of the man". He does not reserve such strong feelings for military men, as his father was a WWII veteran. He is a strong supporter of both Women's Rights and Civil Rights. The latter is of special importance to him, as during his time on the run before meeting Doctor Rhoades, it was a black family that took him in and protected him, despite his ability. He loves music and art and movies; he was the only member of the Institute to accompany Doctor Rhoades to Movie Night every Sunday prior to the events of the campaign. He also likes to visit museums and art galleries. He loves looking at paintings and photography, as it provides a distraction that almost helps to slow his world down. He can look at art for hours on end without noticing exactly how much time has passed. Music is the same. He has a natural ear for music and possesses perfect pitch. He hoped to start a rock band before his power emerged. Kurt loves dancing recreationally. His record player or radio is always on in his office and he will often dance to pass the time. His carpet thus needs to be replaced several times a year. Kurt loves to have fun and almost never stops moving. Starving and desperate for new experiences, Kurt is an avid, voracious reader and a is a self-described "adrenaline junkie". Anything that occupies his time to distract him from the crushing boredom of living in such a slow world is welcome to him. Impatient, he is always tapping his fingers or bouncing his feet, which he does with such force and speed that grooves are worn into his desk and carpeting. He sees his power as a combination of blessing and curse; while he is certain his ability can be used for good, he hates how slow it makes everything else. In his point of view, what's the point of moving faster than everyone else if you have to wait around for everything to catch up? In all, Kurt is a fun-loving, excitable speedster with a love of life and people. History Kurt was born the oldest son of Chuck and Lenore Pinkman of Kansas City, Kansas. A former United States Marine and World War II veteran, Chuck worked as an advertising executive while his mother served as a stay at home mother. Despite his alcholic tendencies, Chuck was a good father to both Kurt and his brother Neil, and he went out of his way to play with them and teach them lessons about morality and what it meant to be "real men". He would often regale to the boys stories about superheroes like "Superman" or the "Batman", comic books that Chuck read as a boy and even during his time serving in the European theater of WWII. Kurt admired his father greatly. When he was seven years old, while playing tag with his dad and brother, Kurt started running and next thing he knew, he was two counties over; he had somehow run more than 20 miles in less than a minute. After this incident, Kurt was monitored by his family and spent time at the hospital, undergoing tests. His tests came out clean, although he was later diagnosed with Hyperkinetic Disorder (otherwise known as ADHD) due to his extreme impatience and inabilty to focus. He spent most of his time wandering around Kansas City by himself, often taking trips on his bike out to the forest, where he spent the weekend camping and fishing by himself. He would sometimes take Neil along. Kurt was not allowed to play on sports teams, a point that caused minor strife between Kurt and Chuck several times in his youth. When he was sixteen, his crush (Heidi Spencer) confessed her attraction to him and kissed him. This caused his body to react strongly. Everything slowed down and it never stopped. Scared, he ran away. Heidi became afraid of him and told her father ( a local minister) about what she saw Kurt do. Over the next few months, things became progressively worse. The members of his church grew to fear him, thinking he was possessed by a demon and they blamed him for that year's poor weather and harvests. Kurt was attacked several times, one of which was in the company of his father. His dad was accidentally injured during the assault while trying to defend his son. Kurt ran his father to the hospital, but he wasn't fast enough to save him. Faced with everything that had happened and afraid for his mother and brother's lives, Kurt left Kansas on his seventeenth birthday, running east and never stopping. He lived as a vagrant for several months, taking what he needed to survive and hiding in abandoned buildings and the woods. He stayed in Georgia for a time, where he was taken in by a black family. Despite his abilities, they protected him and allowed him to stay with them in their household without charge for some time. Kurt credits the Delacroux's with his survival during those times. In early 1966, not long after he turned 18, Kurt was approached by Doctor Alexander Rhoades. Rhoades explained to him that he studied superhuman individuals and that he could help Kurt control his power. Kurt did not want to go with Rhoades and ran away, spending some time in Florida and Lousiana. That summer, in New Orleans, Kurt was approached by Rhoades and another man, named Franklin Dodds. Together, the two men convicned Kurt to come with them to New York City and learn to control his speed. Since then, Kurt has lived in the Rhoades Apartment Compound, the roommate of Franklin Dodds. He has come a long way in learning to cope with and control his superspeed and as of April of 1967 was promoted to a member of Rhoades' Field Team. Notable Accomplishments *Survived the Battle of Vermont against Checkmate. *Participated in the manhunt against Norman Grigsby. *Fought at the Battle of Fort Polk. *Fought in the Battle of the Safehouse. *Contained Ed Groves' blast and was hurtled back in time. *Fought at the Ambush of Braddock Ball. Notable Victories *Dylan Formby (The Bus Incident) *Michael Thomson *Amanda Olivier *Ed Groves Relationships with Others Despite being friendly and easy-going, Kurt has trouble relating to people. Since his superhuman speed causes his brain to process information differently, in his perception, everybody else talks incredibly slow. This causes him to constantly lose focus and/or interest in what other people say, and it requires a great deal of concentration for him to carry on a conversation. He isn't trying to be rude, but it's difficult for him to interact socially. He has grown somewhat since spending more than a year in Victorian England, having gained a measure of control over his speech and ticks. While it is easier for others to interact with him, he still has trouble interacting with others, though Woodrue has helped him focus more in conversation. Annabelle Pinkman is not just Kurt's wife, she's his best friend, his soul mate and the light of his life. He has always felt that Anna understood him in a way that nobody else ever had before, as she, too, understood the monotony of waiting. Her tenacity and charm, as well as her sense of humor, intellegence, generosity and kindness all eventually led to Kurt falling head over heels in love with her. Anna makes Kurt happy in ways that he can't explain; the very thought of being separated from her again is worse than death in his eyes. She is not only his world, she's entire universe and there is nothing in existence that means more to Kurt than Anna. She is also the only person to get him to "slow down" and experience things normally. These states aren't permanent and he cannot control them, but they only occur because of his wife. The two just connect on a spiritual level, and since being with Anna he has even reconsidered his skepticism about God. She brings out the best in him and she compliments every one of his weaknesses. He is very protective of her, often threatening to drop people who threaten her in the middle of nowhere. He recklessly throws himself into danger to protect her, which once almost resulted in his death. He would gladly sacrifice his own life to save Anna's (and he has, in fact), and he would do so without hesitation. Anna means more to him than his own life. She's so much more than that. She is his wife and that makes him the happiest man alive. Roy Jenkins, the newest member of the team, is a good friend to Kurt and almost a surrogate big brother. The two got along famously and became fast friends, even going so far as to consider rooming together. Roy is a font of advice for Kurt and he often tried to teach Kurt how to pick up chicks, how to properly open a bottle of beer without a bottle opener and the various techniques for working on cars. Kurt misses Roy almost more than anybody else, especially since Anna is there. He hopes he's doing alright. Freddie Echolls, a Victorian thief and shapeshifting con-man, is Kurt's best friend beside Anna, and he was the best man at his wedding. The two got along famously right away, with the two finding kindred spirits in one another. The two have spent a lot of time together and Kurt trusts Freddie almost like a brother. Fred is one of the few people who knows the truth about Kurt and Anna's (initially) fake relationship, and Fred is also privy to a number of other secrets that nobody else knows. In all, Kurt and Fred are true best friends and they have been for nearly a year. Next to Anna, Kurt has never had a friend like Fred before and he's very sad that he's going to have to lose him eventually. Franklin Dodds was Kurt's old roommate at the Institute, before he was flung back in time. For a short time, it was only Kurt and Franklin on the field team, and the two actually know each other very well, despite their difference in age. Kurt initially found it weird to be bunking with someone twice his age, but he was soon comforted by Franklin's Papa-Bear tendencies, though neither ever admitted it. While Kurt playfully teased and antagonized Franklin, he truly respects him just like he respected his father, and he genuinely cares about him. Kurt is one of the only people who knows how to talk to and interact with Franklin while the "big guy" is in one of his depressive states, and he's one of the few who can be around him without "setting him off" during such times. Conversely, Franklin is the only team member aside from Anna who can always understand what he says when he talks quickly. Strangely, Kurt is very defensive of Franklin in the field and unquestioningly followed any order Franklin issued. Kurt really misses Franklin and he truly hopes Franklin is doing alright. Kurt respects Doctor Rhoades immensely. The first person to really understand his power and the only one to really try to help him cope with it since his father's death, Kurt sees Doctor Rhoades almost like a big brother. While he dislikes certain aspects of his therapy, Kurt does grasp the importance of keeping with the program Rhoades has laid out for him. Kurt's repsect and ability to connect with him was strengthened when he realized Rhoades was human, too, after the doctor's fling with Anna. Kurt doesn't hold any ill-will against Rhoades or Anna for what happened. They're young, they were lonely. It happens. All in all, he finds Rhoades is the only person to help him make any real progress in learning to control his powers, despite Woodrue's small boons. Kurt likes Reginald, the doctor with the power to induce hallucinations in others. He finds the weird things he says hilarious, and he thinks the amount of information the man has to be daunting. He enjoys talking to Reginald, testing him on random knowlegde. Kurt's "mission in life" is to find a piece of information Reginald does not know. Hey, it beats sitting around, staring at the ceiling. Kurt also enjoys pushing Reginald's buttons, teetering on the edge of annoying the gentle doctor. He really does like Reginald, despite the fact that he can be hard on him, and respects the knowledge he possesses and his skill with his ability. He is very glad to see Reginald in 1885, and the two have become a lot closer since then. Nora Froggatt, his maid in Victorian England, is a sweet, generous and enthusiastic young maid and housekeeper. Originally working for Doctor Woodrue, Nora decided to move to London when she and Anna became friends. Kurt always found Nora really nice, and he's happy that Anna has somebody she trusts and likes so much in the house. Plus, she's a great housekeeper, unlike almost literally everybody else living on 223 Pearl Street. Nathaniel Middleton is another member of Woodrue's group and another good friend to Kurt. Initially, he saw Nathaniel as another Reginald, but soon began to see the man's uniqueness and they eventually formed a friendship. Kurt thinks of Nathaniel as a good man with a heart of gold, despite his murderous, hedonistic alter-ego. Kurt trusts Nathaniel dearly, although he doesn't have the best faith in him as a guardian. Kurt has only just started to get to know Henry Barton, Anna's twin brother (and therefore, Kurt's brother-in-law). The two have a lot in common and they seem to get along pretty well. Kurt likes Henry alot and sees him as a good brother, and he trusts Henry completely. He is one of the few people he implicity trusts to protect Anna and keep her safe. Peter Belinksy, Anna's former fiancée and fellow teammate at the Rhoades' Institute, is a weird, gray area for Kurt. On the one hand, the two were starting to be pretty good friends in 1967, despite Peter's (then) relationship with Anna. However, Kurt has also always felt an underlying sense of jealousy about it. Now, after marrying Anna, Kurt understands that the tables will be turned, and when they inevitably go back to 1967 he will have some explaining to do. More than anything, it is this conversation that Kurt is most afraid of and he is counting on the fact that Peter is going to hate him forever. Doctor Heathcliffe Woodrue is the head of the Woodrue Group, a team of evolved humans in the late Victorian era. Native to northern England, Woodrue is a good, religious man with a big heart. Intelligent and compassionate beyond comparison, Kurt admires Woodrue for his views and his dedication to protecting and helping the "Wonders". He feels that he owes Dr. Woodrue everything, as the man saved his life and gave him room & board when Kurt inexplicably found himself in Victorian England. Margaret Summer is Woodure's assistant and ward. Kurt and the Telepath get along, but Kurt is uncomfortable aware that Margaret harbors a big crush on him. He thinks Margaret's groovy and all, but his heart is with Anna and it always has been. He really does hope she finds someone someday, though. Kurt just dislikes Rupert Hawley, another Victorian-era ally. He sees the invisible man as a pervert and a jackass, and he does not respect his tendency to be a womanizer and a cheat. While he initially just hated the guy, he is impressed to discover that Rupert has been protecting Anna like he has and that Rupert saved Reginald from Dreyfuss's bombing. Despite his small signs of heroism, Kurt still doesn't really like the guy. He's not a friend of Sebastian Braddock, a Victorian-era aristocrat and engimatic vampire-like superhuman. He does, however, respect the reclusive man and is grateful to him for everything he's done for Anna, and for both times Sebastian has saved his life. Despite this, Kurt does not fully trust him and he will surely be watching Lord Braddock more closely. Kurt likes "Inspector" Frederick Abberline and his assistant, Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle. He thinks it's cool that he personally knows the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson (including the guy who will write the stories), and he admires their ability for combat and deduction. Abberline is one of the very few people that Kurt trusts implicitly with Anna's safety. Kurt hates Jude for everything he is. It's not a matter of philosphy; for Kurt, the enmity is personal. It's not about Jude defeating him in combat. It's about the fact that Jude has been a thorn in their side for so long and more so, he hates Jude for hurting his wife. He can never forgive Jude for everything he's done to Anna, and Kurt is determined to rid the world of Jude's filth once and for all. Powers and Abilities Kurt is an extrahuman, which means he possesses superhuman abilities beyond those possible for average humans. He also has some mundane training. *'Hand-to-Hand Combat:' Kurt is an able melee combatant, due mostly to his increased brain functions and heightened perception granted by his speed. *'Hyper-Acceleration: '''The human brain is normally keyed to a 24 hour cycle, called a circadian rhythm. This regulates the cycle of bodily functions, including sleep, metabolism, and aging. Most of this function is centered in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, near the hypothalamus. The nucleus has a set number of neurons available to it. Kurt's nucleus is enlarged, causing him to observe time in a differentiated frame. **'Enhanced Durability: His body has adapted to the rigors of superhuman movement, and thus his body recovers at a highly increased rate. He is capable of resisting tremendous impact forces that could easily crush and kill a human without suffering any serious external or internal injuries. **'Enhanced Perception: '''Part of Kurt's mutation is that his perception of time slows relative to his speed. The faster he moves, the slower the world around him seems to be. Falling objects take nearly a minute of his own perception to fall a few feet, and things like rain, bullets or flies move slow enough that he can count the rain drops of how many repetitions of a fly's wings beating. He can disarm or jam weapons before his enemy's notice. His mental abilities are also increased. Simple computations can be done at lightning speeds and his ability to process information matches a computer. He can use this ability to read a book in a matter of minutes (or less) and retain every word, though temporary (see below). **'Enhanced Strength: 'Kurt's superhuman ability to run comes with the added bonus of a superhuman musculature. His body is able to absorb and withstand the repeated impact of sustained running at such high speeds, and the fact that he can propel himself that fast indicates an increased capacity for strength beyond what his size and weight would otherwise indicate. He can lift (press) approximately 350 pounds, which puts him on par with professional weight lifters. He has been recorded by Doctor Rhoades leg pressing more than 1 ton under optimal conditions. **'Speed Physiology: 'Kurt's body is adapted towards the rigors of high-speed running. His cardiovascular and respiratory systems are many times more efficient than those of a normal human being. He metabolizes an estimated 95% of the caloric energy content of foodstuffs (normal humans use about 25%). The chemical processes of Kurt's musculature are so highly enhanced that his body does not generate fatigue poisons, such as lactic acid, the normal by-products of locomotion, which force the body to rest. Rather, his body constantly expels waste products during his accelerated respiration through exhalation. His joints are smoother and lubricated more efficiently than those of a normal human being. His tendons have the tensile strength of spring steel. His bones contain unknown materials significantly more durable than calcium to withstand the dynamic shocks of his feet touching the ground at speeds a human could never achieve or withstand. Kurt's practical reaction time is several times faster than a normal human's and the speed at which his brain processes information is heightened to a level commensurate with his bodily speed, enabling him to perceive his surroundings while traveling at high velocities. His lachrymose is more viscous than normal, thus preventing rapid evaporation and replenishment of surface fluids on his eyeballs under the influence of high wind velocity to occlude his vision. **'Superhuman Speed: The most obvious advantage of this ability is his ability to move 10 times faster than the average person, clocking speeds of up to 100 miles per hour on average. He is thought to be able to move even faster; according to Doctor Rhoades, his first burst of speed (running more than 20 miles in less than a single minute) would only be possible if he were running at speeds near Mach 1. He can perform routine tasks much faster than most people, such as tying his shoes, writing, eating or even smoking. He has been seen to be able to run fast enough that he can run on the surface of water for a short distance. **'Temporary Photographic Memory: '''Kurt can force his mind to retain a great amount of information with perfect detail. This comes at a cost, however. He can only perfectly recall the information until he goes to sleep, at which time the information is lost. Additionally, the more he uses this ability, it can have an impact on his short-term memory (see below). *'Musician:' Kurt is a natural musician and possesses perfect pitch. He has the ability to play the drums, though he has not done so since his power surfaced when he was sixteen years old. *'Survival Skills:' After spending so much time camping and fishing, and after having read so many handbooks and manuals on the subject, Kurt is an expert at surviving in the wilderness. He is an able hunter and forager, and an expert fisherman. Paraphernelia Kurt does not have much gear or equipment. However, there are a few things he is never without. *'Lighter: This gold zippo lighter is emblazoned with the logo for Easy Company, the nickname for the 101st Airborne company of marines; the military unit in which his father served during World War II. The lighter is his most treasured possession and he always has it on his person. *'''Pocket Knife: While not especially intimidating as a weapon, it is very useful as a survival tool. It is capable of cutting branches from trees, whittling wood, cooking, gutting fish and a number of other useful tasks. It comes with a can opener, a compass, a nail file, a cork-screw and three sizes of alan wrench. *'Sun Glasses:' Kurt always has a pair of sun glassess with him in the field, in case they face an evolved human with a power dependant of eye contact. You never know. Weaknesses *'Accelerated Metabolism:' As his body moves at such an increased speed, Kurt has a metabolism beyond that of an Olympic runner. His body requires approximately 37,500 calories per day; 3 times that of an Olympic swimmer's daily diet. He is constantly snacking and if he goes long enough without eating, his perception becomes fuzzy and his top speed decreases significantly. *'ADHD:' Kurt has been diagnosed with HKD due to his altered perceptions derived from his increased speed. He has trouble focusing and is easily distracted. He has a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, and impulsivity. *'Memory: '''Kurt's superhuman ability to retain large amounts of information in a short amount of time comes at a price. Using his temporary photographic memory too much in a short time can result in memory loss. Consuming enough alcohol to make him drunk can do the same thing. While his long-term memory seems unaffected, he can have difficulty making and retaining new memories. Notes *Kurt's play-by actor is Kyle Gallner. *Kurt is a character in the ''Second Campaign. As such, all information regarding the character is considered Historical. In other words, by 2014, his journey has been long completed and most (if not all) of the information about him has, in effect, changed considerably. All biographical and personality information are accurate as of 1967. Trivia *Kurt loves Star Trek and Flash Gordon, and is also a closet comic book nerd. *His favorite band is The Who. Other favorites are The Rolling Stones, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Simon and Garfunkel, Janis Joplin and'' Jimi Hendrix''. *Favorite color is red. *Loves dogs and lizards. *Favorite television show is The Twilight Zone. *Favorite movie is a tie between Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. He also loves Goldfinger and The Great Escape, and has developed a taste for foreign films thanks to Doctor Rhoades. His favorite foreign film is Yojimbo or The Seven Samurai. Category:Extrahuman Category:Superspeed Category:Married Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Chaotic Good Characters Category:Rhoades Institute Category:Generation X Category:Time Travelers Category:Native of Earth-1 Category:Pinkman Family Category:Fathers Category:Grandfathers